Heaven's Fire
by kaloy
Summary: A stranger disturbs the Kenshingumi's peace when he challenges Aoshi to a duel.


Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki. I'm only ripping him off. I   
fervently hope nobody sues me. Some details of this fanfic might be completely wrong.   
You have been warned. Don't take this fanfic too seriously. If there are incorrect details   
or ideas, please tell me. I might not be able to correct them for this fanfic, but I may be   
able to correct future mistakes.   
  
Brace yourselves for you are now entering a world of implausible physics... -_^   
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------   
  
Heaven's Fire   
by karl   
  
  
"Lunch is ready!" Kaoru shouted.   
  
"Alright!" cried Sano and Yahiko at the same time. It's amazing how food could have so   
much power over them, thought Kaoru.   
  
They were all starting to settle down to eat when Kenshin noticed something wasn't right.   
  
"There's somebody outside," he said.  
  
"I noticed it too. I think he's been there a long time, but it's just now that he's decided to   
let us know," added Aoshi.   
  
The two men stood up and went to the dojo's door. When they opened it they saw a man   
standing by the dojo's entrance. He was dressed in a dusty kimono, although upon closer   
inspection his clothes were just actually colored like dust. He was taller than Kenshin, but   
not as tall as Aoshi. He had long black hair that fell over his eyes. As if on cue, the wind   
blew, picking up the dust at the stranger's feet.   
  
"Good day to you, sir. May I know what your business here is?" asked Kaoru. This   
elicited no response from the stranger.   
  
"We are getting ready for lunch, my friend, and it would be a great honor to us if you   
would join us," said Kenshin, taking a step forward. By now, everybody had gone outside   
and was eyeing the stranger with caution.   
  
"I am very sorry to disappoint you, kind sir, madam," said the stranger, bowing politely at   
Kenshin and Kaoru as he addressed them. "I cannot join you today as a friend, but rather   
as an enemy."   
  
With those words, the stranger pulled back his jacket, revealing a sword tucked in his   
belt. Curiously, there was another scabbard there, but it was empty. Nobody moved an   
inch, but the tension in the air suddenly became so thick that it could smother a man.   
  
"I am Yotoko Yuukio of the House of Ishijima, and I am here to challenge the man who   
killed my brother," said the stranger. "Shinomori Aoshi, draw your sword."   
  
Aoshi came forward. "I am sorry to disappoint you, but I don't know your brother or   
anybody from your house, for that matter," he said.   
  
"It doesn't matter if you knew him or not. What's important is that you killed him, along   
with ten other policemen, in a village not far from Kyoto about nine months ago. He was   
the best swordsman in that squad, and I wanted to see just how good his killer is," said   
Yuukio. He then reached for his sword, and moved into a ready stance. The stance was   
similar to Kenshin's Battoujutsu position, but Yuukio's right leg was the one nearly   
touching the ground instead of his left, and he held his sword with his right palm facing   
upwards, instead of the usual way.   
  
I remember now, thought Aoshi. It happened during that time when he was still searching   
for Battousai the Slasher, bent on getting revenge for the death of his comrades.   
  
"Yes," said Aoshi. "I remember your brother. He used the very same stance. He fought   
bravely, but I prevailed. However, that is far behind me now, and I am trying to atone for   
my past sins. I apologize for any sorrow I may have caused you." Aoshi bowed deeply   
and started to turn back towards the dojo.   
  
"No sir, I'm afraid that's not enough. Please honor me by accepting my challenge," said   
Yuukio.   
  
Nobody else heard the click when Yuukio pressed the hidden button on his sword hilt but   
him and Aoshi. Aoshi turned around just in time to catch the short iron rod that shot out   
from Yuukio's sword hilt. It was a good thing Aoshi caught it, because if he didn't, he   
would have been defenseless against Yuukio's next move. It came so fast that Aoshi   
barely had enough time to bring up the iron rod and block Yuukio's downward slash.   
  
"Honor my challenge, Aoshi," said Yuukio. Yuukio's face was so close to Aoshi's that   
they could smell each other's breath. Upon gazing into Yuukio's eyes, Aoshi saw neither   
anger nor madness, but there was something there that made him think twice about   
declining Yuukio's challenge.   
  
Yuukio saw the change in Aoshi's face, and backed away. "Thank you," he said.   
  
"Do not thank me just yet," answered Aoshi. "I have never let anyone who challenged me   
live for much longer. Misao, please get my swords."   
  
Even though she had her doubts, there was something in Aoshi's tone that made Misao   
hurry into the dojo to get Aoshi's swords.   
  
The weight of the twin swords in his hands brought back some of the fire, and   
viciousness, to Aoshi's eyes. Slowly, as if relishing every moment, he drew the swords   
from their scabbard, and stood ready for battle.   
  
"He's still using his Kodachi-Nito style," said Sanosuke. "Of course," said Kenshin. "It   
works, doesn't it?"   
  
"Yeah," answered Sano. "You should know, huh?" he said with a snort. Kenshin just   
smiled.   
  
A few more moments passed, and just as Yahiko was about to announce his boredom,   
Yuukio attacked.   
  
It was so sudden that the onlookers didn't exactly see him drawing his sword. They just   
knew it was out of its scabbard when they heard the familiar clang of steel against steel.   
Yuukio's attacks were fast. They may not have been as fast as Kenshin's but they were   
fast nonetheless. However, Aoshi's twin swords allowed him to parry all of Yuukio's   
attacks easily, while still being able to make his own attacks. Yuukio's agility was the   
only thing that kept him away from an early grave.   
  
Three minutes into the swordfight, and the first drops of blood were visible on the dry   
ground not far from the fighters. At first it wasn't evident whose blood it was, not until   
Yuukio clutched his side and jump back from Aoshi's attack.   
  
"It seems you are good," said Yuukio.   
  
"I am more than that," answered Aoshi.   
  
"Finally, you are not holding back," said Yuukio. "Let's go."   
  
Again, Yuukio attacked with the same blinding speed he used earlier. This time, Sano   
and Kenshin's eyes had grown accustomed to the speed with which the two swordsmen   
moved.   
  
"There's something different about his attack..." thought Kenshin.   
  
Aoshi was ready, and was easily able to block Yuukio's katana slash, but he almost didn't   
notice the wakizashi coming at him from the right side. He brought up his kodachi to   
block the oncoming attack, allowing Yuukio to turn quickly to his right, bringing the hilt   
of his sword dangerously close to Aoshi's temples. If it had connected, Aoshi would have   
been out cold on the ground.   
  
"That's it!" thought Kenshin. "That's why it looked different. I thought he was holding his   
sword's scabbard with his left hand, but actually he was getting ready to draw a   
wakizashi. The other scabbard wasn't empty at all, then. It was just placed upside down   
to confuse his opponent."   
Aoshi managed to dodge Yuukio's sword hilt, but Yuukio continued his turn and ended   
with another thrust to Aoshi's left with his katana. This time, Yuukio's attack finally   
connected. Aoshi, however, managed to jump away from the thrust at the last second,   
resulting in a gash along his stomach rather than a hole in his side. Both fighters had now   
drawn blood.   
  
Aoshi and Yuukio both jumped away from each other at the same time. Yuukio dropped   
to his right knee and again clutched at his wound. The wound was now bleeding   
profusely, and his clothes were heavily stained.   
  
Looking up, Yuukio saw Aoshi standing not far from where he was, when suddenly he   
saw two Aoshis, then four, then eight.   
  
"What the...?" he asked out loud.   
  
"Aoshi's starting his Flowing Water Attack," said Misao. "This guy's toast."   
  
"No. Not yet," said Yuukio. Suddenly, before Aoshi could attack, Yuukio slashed   
downward to the ground, causing the earth to erupt in a huge eruption of dirt, dust and   
debris. Just a split second later, Yuukio pulled back his sword and jumped high up into   
the air, causing more dirt and debris to erupt into the air.   
  
"What's he doing?" asked Yahiko.  
  
The dust had temporarily blinded Aoshi, causing him to drop his kodachi and halt his   
Flowing Water Attack. When he looked up he was greeted with the sight of a flash of   
light coming at him from a huge cloud of dust. Aoshi quickly recognized it as Yuukio's   
wakizashi, and although dust in his eyes was still blurring his eyesight, he managed   
to block the oncoming missile with his remaining sword. The sudden attack still had him   
dazed enough that there was nothing he could do to evade Yuukio's next attack.   
  
Yuukio's sword hilt hit Aoshi directly in the heart, causing blood to well up into Aoshi's   
throat and out his mouth.   
  
"What the...?" "How'd he do that?" asked Sano and Yahiko at the same time.   
  
"It seems he used some of the debris to get some leverage and propel himself at Aoshi.   
The sun glinting off of the wakizashi's blade and the color of his clothes made it hard for   
Aoshi to notice his second attack, not to mention being blinded by the dust," answered   
Kenshin. "From this vantage point, it seems so easy to defend against, but when you're in   
Aoshi's position, everything changes."   
  
Misao was already by Aoshi's side, and was cradling him in her arms. Yuukio was   
crouching on the ground near Aoshi's inert body. Misao immediately drew a few of her   
kunai, her eyes reflecting the rage inside her heart. She was just about to attack Yuukio   
when Aoshi held back her hand.   
"No, Misao," said Aoshi. "He could have killed me, but he didn't. I believe this fight is   
over."   
  
"Yeah, that's right," said Sano. "Why didn't you use your sword to stab Aoshi instead? I   
mean, I thought you wanted to avenge your brother's death?"   
  
"Do you mean to say you want Aoshi dead, Sano?" shouted Misao. Her eyes were   
burning with anger, making Sanosuke draw back.   
  
"No! I was just wondering, that's all," said Sano.   
  
"Actually, he could have killed Aoshi even with just the hilt of his sword. The force of   
his attack and the pull of gravity would have been more than enough to stop Aoshi's   
heart," said Kenshin.   
  
"That's right," said Aoshi. He put his arm around Misao and tried to get up. "But you held   
back. Why?"   
  
Yuukio stood up. He sheathed his sword and smiled.   
  
"You must understand that I am not really a killer. And I never said I wanted to avenge   
my brother's death. I said I wanted to fight the man who beat him," Said Yuukio. "The   
fact is, I was never too fond of him. That bastard treated my sister and I like dirt, even   
though we had the same father. If it were him I faced today, I would have long left his   
corpse to the worms.   
  
"His death by my hands would have been his payment for all the things he did to my   
sister and me. But you took that away from me, Shinomori Aoshi, and so I had to content   
myself with beating you instead. Again, I thank you for accepting my challenge. Until we   
meet again."  
  
Yotoko Yuukio, a proud swordsman of the House of Ishijima, turned around and started   
to walk away from the Kamiya Dojo. 


End file.
